Piccolissima — Page 11

English → It Full Text Level 3/10

replied Picciolissima, with an air which probably appeared to the fly not very sensible; for, shrugging up his right wing disdainfully, he returned to his sugar candy.

rispose Piccolissima, con un'aria che probabilmente sembrò alla mosca poco sensata; poiché, alzando sdegnosamente la sua ala destra, essa ritornò al suo zucchero candito.

After a little reflection, she looked down again, and perceived, to her great astonishment, upon the stick of candy, which was of an amber color, a drop of water.

Dopo una breve riflessione, guardò di nuovo in basso, e scorse, con sua grande meraviglia, sul bastoncino di zucchero, che era di color ambra, una goccia d'acqua.

She was sure, however, that she had done the civil thing to the flies, and given it to them first.

Era sicura, tuttavia, di aver fatto la cosa cortese verso le mosche, e di averlo offerto loro per prime.

How, then, was the candy moist? thought she; but she did not dare again to ask questions which excited such a rude buzzing in reply.

Come mai, allora, lo zucchero era umido? pensò; ma non osò di nuovo fare domande che suscitavano un ronzio così sgarbato in risposta.

So she rested her two little elbows on her knees, and her small head upon one of her hands, and continued to examine the fly.

Così appoggiò i suoi due piccoli gomiti sulle ginocchia, e la sua piccola testa su una delle mani, e continuò ad esaminare la mosca.

"Is it his nose?" said she, in a low voice, (for, having very rarely any one to talk with, she had a habit of talking to herself,) "is it his nose that he stretches out thus upon my sugar?

«È il suo naso?» disse sottovoce, (poiché, avendo rarissimamente qualcuno con cui parlare, aveva l'abitudine di parlare tra sé,) «è il suo naso che allunga così sul mio zucchero?

I have heard papa say that there are animals, much larger than he, and which they call elephants, I think, who take up with their noses all the food they put in their mouths, and that they call this nose a trunk.

Ho sentito dire a papà che esistono degli animali, molto più grandi di lui, che chiamano elefanti, credo, i quali raccolgono col loro naso tutto il cibo che mettono in bocca, e che chiamano questo naso una proboscide.

Perhaps this is a little person of the family of elephants."

Forse questo è un piccolo essere della famiglia degli elefanti.»

Piccolissima had hardly uttered these words, when the fly, whose antennae were longer than usual, and were turned towards the little prattler, gave such a leap that Mademoiselle Tom Thumb trembled.

Piccolissima aveva appena pronunciato queste parole, quando la mosca, le cui antenne erano più lunghe del solito, e rivolte verso la piccola chiacchierona, fece un balzo tale che Mademoiselle Pollicina tremò.

Vocabulary

rispose: Answered, replied to a question or statement.
Piccolissima: Very small, tiny; superlative form of piccolo.
con: With, used to indicate accompaniment or association.
un: A, an; indefinite article for masculine singular nouns.
aria: Air, atmosphere; also means appearance or manner.
che: That, which; relative pronoun used in various contexts.
probabilmente: Probably, likely; adverb expressing probability or likelihood.
sembrò: Seemed, appeared; past tense of sembrare.
alla: To the, at the; contraction of 'a la'.
mosca: Fly, the common insect with wings.
poco: Little, small in quantity; opposite of much.
sensata: Sensible, reasonable; wise or showing good judgment.
poiché: Because, since; conjunction introducing a reason or cause.
alzando: Raising, lifting up; present participle of alzare.
la: The; feminine singular definite article.
sua: Her, his, its; possessive adjective third person.
ala: Wing, limb used for flying on birds.
destra: Right, the right side or direction.
essa: She, it; feminine singular personal pronoun.
ritornò: Returned, came back; past tense of ritornare.
al: To the, at the; contraction of 'a il'.
suo: His, her, its; possessive adjective third person.
zucchero: Sugar, sweet crystalline substance from plants.
Dopo: After, following in time or sequence.
una: A, an; indefinite article for feminine singular.
breve: Brief, short in duration or length.
riflessione: Reflection, thought; act of thinking carefully.
guardò: Looked, gazed; past tense of guardare.
di: Of, from; preposition indicating possession or origin.
nuovo: New, again; adjective or adverb for novelty.
in: In, into; preposition for location or direction.
basso: Low, down; opposite of high or alto.
scorse: Glimpsed, caught sight of; past tense scorgere.
grande: Large, big; adjective for size and importance.
meraviglia: Wonder, amazement; feeling of surprise or awe.
sul: On the, upon the; contraction preposition.
era: Was; past tense of essere third person.
color: Color, hue; noun for visual appearance and shade.
goccia: Drop, drip; small amount of liquid.
acqua: Water, liquid essential for life and living.
Era: Was; past tense of essere third person.
sicura: Sure, certain; confident in knowledge or belief.
tuttavia: However, nevertheless; conjunction showing contrast or exception.
aver: To have; infinitive form of avere verb.
fatto: Done, made; past participle of fare.
cosa: Thing, matter; noun for object or matter.
cortese: Courteous, polite; showing good manners and respect.
verso: Towards, to; preposition indicating direction or aim.
le: The, them; feminine plural definite article.
mosche: Flies, plural of mosca the insect.
offerto: Offered, presented; past participle of offrire.
loro: Their, to them; possessive or personal pronoun.
per: For, by; preposition for reason or means.
prime: First, early; adjective feminine plural for order.
Come: How, what; interrogative adverb for manner.
mai: Ever, never; adverb for frequency or emphasis.
allora: Then, therefore; adverb for time or consequence.
lo: It, him; masculine singular personal pronoun.
umido: Moist, damp; adjective for wetness condition.
pensò: Thought, pondered; past tense of pensare.
ma: But, yet; conjunction showing contrast opposition.
non: Not, no; adverb negating verb or adjective.
osò: Dared, ventured; past tense of osare.
fare: To do, to make; basic infinitive verb.
domande: Questions, inquiries; plural of domanda.
così: So, thus; adverb for manner or degree.
risposta: Answer, reply; noun for response given.
Così: So, thus; adverb for manner or degree.
appoggiò: Leaned, rested; past tense of appoggiare.
suoi: His, her, its; possessive adjective third person.
due: Two, the number 2; cardinal number.
piccoli: Small, little; plural adjective for size.

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